MovieMuse
T
he MovieMuse Reviews (MovieViews) database is a searchable collection of films that the team have watched, providing a comprehensive guide on what to watch and what to avoid. It provides a link to an in-depth review or a short opinion on the film and a rating, as well as a link to the film’s poster or DVD cover. For more recent entries we are also including a link to the film’s IMDb page and a trailer from YouTube.
You can search and sort the list by individual film names, genre, reviewer, score and other variables to inform you on whether a film is worth your time, or to inspire you for your next movie night.
We will also use the database to create periodic lists of the recommended films in all sorts of categories. These lists will be shared on the website and some will even come with a video.
| Poster | Movie | Year | Genre | Comments | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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The Karate Kid Part III | 1989 | Action, 7 | Very much a case of diminishing returns as this film retreads ground from the first whilst introducing several dreadful actors as bad guys and ruining Macchio's character. Only Morita retains any dignity with another decent showing as Mr Miyagi. | 4 |
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The Dead Don't Die | 2019 | 4, 11 | Really quirky, irreverent humour and a fun zombie comedy-horror. Right up until Tilda Swinton turns up and tries to ruin the film (as she does in most) with an awful Scottish accent and overplayed performance. | 7 |
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Toy Story 4 | 2019 | 2, 4, 8 | It seems like the plot is very light, but as I wasn't a fan of TS3 that felt like a good thing. The new characters Forky, Ducky & Bunny were great and I really liked Bo Peep's extended role. | 8 |
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My Life as a Dog | 1985 | 4, 7, 10 | Swedish coming of age film about a young boy sent to live with his uncle to give his convalescing mother some respite. A gentle film that didn't really delve into any of the growing pains but rather skims o the surface. | 6 |
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Yesterday | 2019 | 4, 9, 12 | On the surface a serviceable rom-com to a soundtrack of The Beatles. But even the slightest scratch of the surface tears the script apart. Boyle and Curtis can and have done much better. | 6 |
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Wild Rose | 2019 | 7, 12 | This 'follow your dreams' Country music drama suffers from Jesse Buckley's character being so unlikeable that I didn't really care if she realised the dreams or not. | 6 |
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Dead in a Week Days (or your money back) | 2019 | 4 | English black comedy about a suicidal writer and an aging hit man who offers to 'outsource your suicide'. Reasonably well written and acted, but nothing ground breaking. | 6 |
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I Am Mother | 2019 | 7, 17, 20 | An interesting and well done take on the child raised by wolves. It won't win admirers for originality, but it will for tension and style. | 7 |
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Men In Black: International | 2019 | Action, 1, 4 | A very 2000s attempt at a 90s film. Nothing terribly wrong with the film, but they really don't make 90s films like they did in the 90s. | 5 |
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Ma | 2019 | 7, 11, 20 | Octavia Spencer is a lonely veterinary nurse who befriends a group of teens after they ask her to buy some booze for them. It starts like a pretty standard drama, but then turns a bit Misery and then a bit Hostel! It won't win awards, but it's a fun ride. | 8 |
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Rocketman | 2019 | 3, 7, 12 | Without falling into the traps that Bohemian Rhapsody did and whitewashing a troubled story, Rocketman still only feels like it scratches the surface. There will surely be a (posthumous?) sequel where we get to see Diva Elton in full effect. | 7 |
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Happy New Year Colin Burstead | 2018 | 4, 7 | Colin brings his family to a stately house for a New Year's Eve to forget. Ben Wheatley's least subversive film always feels like something is missing and despite the clever dialogue, by the end you are left wondering what the point was. | 6 |
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Filth | 2013 | 4, 5, 7 | Based on Irvine Welsh' best book, the film had a lot to live up to. Unfortunately it fails at almost every turn. McAvoy can't portray just how loathsome his character is and the director chickens out of the ending. A huge disappoinment. | 4 |
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Defending Your Life | 1991 | 4, 7, 9 | Albert Brooks tale of the bureaucracy of the afterlife is very well told with some good laughs, but it always feels like a slightly under par Woody Allen film. | 7 |
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The Vanishing | 2018 | 7, 13, 20 | The initial slow burn lets rip into mayhem in a gloriously understated and creepy thriller showing how one poor decision can have devastating effects. | 8 |
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The Lion King | 2019 | 1, 7, 8 | A fun but pointless remake from almost perfect source material. But it is the unnecessary changes that hurt most. Changing Shenzi the Hyena Queen to a 2 dimensional tyrant is unforgivable. | 7 |
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The Man Who Fell to Earth | 1976 | 7, 17 | Bowie may be perfectly cast as an Alien on Earth, but both the plot and the style are products of a very different age and can't hold up for anything more than novelty. | 6 |
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Spirited Away | 2001 | 1, 2, 9 | A young girl's anxiety about moving home is told in fantastical splendour. Whilst not the best Ghibli have produced, this Oscar winner is certainly the most accessible to newcomers. | 8 |
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World Cup: A Captain's Tale | 1982 | 3, 4, 7 | Despite Dennis Waterman's dodgy Geordie accent, the story of the English non-leaguers winning the first ever football world cup is tv movie gold. | 7 |
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Once Upon a Time in Hollywood | 2019 | 4, 7 | Its history revision is a bone of contention for some, but for me the biggest issue is that the story goes nowhere for 2 hours and then has an ultraviolent ending added just for effect. Its a shame as the characters are great. | 5 |
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Shazam! | 2019 | Action, 1, 4 | A surprisingly entertaining reworking of Big as a superhero movie. The jokes are obvious and over the top, but that isn't a bad think in a gloriously kid centred film. | 7 |
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Anima | 2019 | 12, 17, 18 | Paul Thomas Andersons collected music videos for Thom Yorke's solo album is as pretentious as the whole Radiohead back catalogue combined. | 3 |
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Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story | 2018 | 6 | A fascinating and moving tale of the enigma behind Frank Sidebottom and many more comedic and musical ventures that doesn't shy away from his darker moments. | 8 |
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Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile | 2019 | 3, 5, 7 | This character study of killer Ted Bundy manages to keep your interest for the full running time without showing a single murder. Efron is finally throwing off his Twilight shackles. | 7 |
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Booksmart | 2019 | 4 | A massively overrated attempt at making a boys film for girls. It falls foul of all of the usual tropes, but does still entertains along the way as two preppy girls have a one night blow out before college. | 6 |